'Detention' movie to debut Sunday at South by Southwest

By
ALLISON MILES
March 9, 2011 at 10:05 p.m.Updated March 8, 2011 at 9:09 p.m.

Victoria natives Clayton and Vernon Reaser spend most days just as many others do - work, meals, sleep and so on. This weekend, however, the Reasers will take a stroll down Texas' version of the red carpet.

The brothers were executive producers on "Detention," a movie that premiers Sunday at Austin's South By Southwest festival.

"Detention" is a horror comedy about a 17-year-old girl sent to detention, where she finds herself up against a slasher film killer, ac cording to a news release. She must then "save the world in time for prom."

Although the brotherly duo has teamed up on projects through the years, this was their first movie effort, Clayton Reaser said. They got involved when director Joseph Kahn, whom Reaser had spoken with in the past, contacted them.

"He said, 'I'm looking for an investor. I called you first because I know you've been interested in investing in a movie,'" Reaser said. "I said we'd be interested, and we did it."

Production began in July and remained on a quick schedule, Reaser said. Shooting finished after 40-some days, he said, and post production, where the staff added in special effects and more, officially wrapped March 5.

The work is a mixture of big names and lesser-known actors, Clayton Reaser said. Dane Cook plays the high school principal and Kahn has worked with such names as Britney Spears, U2, Blink 182 and more.

Despite their celebrity status, Reaser said everyone on set spent time together and had fun.

"They just love to have a good time," he said of Cook and others. "We joked around on the set all the time and played pranks on each other, just like back in high school."

The film debuts at 6:30 p.m. Sunday at Austin's Alamo Lamar A, 1120 S. Lamar Blvd., but three other showings will follow on different days.

The Reasers' mother, Gail Reaser, said she and other family members will watch the film in Austin, but aren't sure they'll make it to the first showing.

"The first tickets are going to the industry people and the actors and we're not sure if there will be room for us," she said with a laugh. "But that's a good thing. A lot of people are interested in the project."

She said she's proud of her children and looks forward to seeing the finished product.

"Hopefully it's a success," she said. "To me, it's a success just that they were involved in something like this from start to finish. It's the real deal."

Clayton Reaser said his experience with "Detention" might have been his first brush with the movie world, but he hopes it isn't his last.

"Overall, it's the most fun I've ever had while actually doing work," he said, adding that he even scored a role in the film. "We're already looking for our next couple of ideas. I think I'll shift my focus to doing this for a long time to come."